In the art of printing, more generally, the forming of images (i.e., text, graphics, etc.) on a print media, it is desirable that the image-forming device know the type of print media, such as paper, for example, loaded in the print media supply or input tray. Given the several characteristics which determine the “type” of print media, such as material, size, color, weight and texture, for example, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different types of print media available and in use today. Similarly, there are many different types of image-forming devices in use today, such as printers, copiers, scanners, facsimile machines and plotters, for example, many of which require special types of print media.
Consider one of the more important of print media characteristics, media size, for example. Without media size information, an error can occur during printing if the media size requested is not the same as the media size loaded in the media supply tray. If the image-forming device knows the size of the print media available in the media supply tray, the user can be notified that the presently available media does not agree with the requested size, thereby reducing the likelihood of an error.
Today, the most common method used to set or “inform” the image-forming device, such as a printer, of the type of print media contained in a given media supply tray is for a user to provide the media type information via a printer control panel. There is no assurance that once this information is set in the printer, that the setting will remain accurate in the future. For example, User A loads transparency film media in input tray 2 and sets the media type for input tray 2 as “transparencies.” At a later time, User B removes the transparency film and loads plain paper in input tray 2 and fails to reset the media type for input tray 2 to reflect the change in print media. Subsequent users expecting to print on transparency film may be disappointed when the print job is printed on plain paper instead thus causing a loss of time and a waste of resources.
Considering again the size of the print media, several methods of conveying the size of print media loaded in a supply tray to a printer have been developed. For example, a unique tray for each size of media that the printing device can accommodate will insure that only one size of media can be loaded in the tray. The primary disadvantage with this approach is increased cost in molding numerous size and configured trays. Additional disadvantages include increased cost in maintaining inventory of numerous trays to support the many media sizes used. For the user, storage of those trays not in current use must also be accommodated. Also, the user generally must purchase, at an additional cost, trays which are not initially provided with the printing device.
Another approach allows a manufacturer to manufacture one type of media tray that can be configured for all of the various sizes of print media. This approach reduces manufacturing cost since it requires only one molding for all media trays. However, the user still must indicate to the printing device the type and size of media loaded in the tray. One method is to provide a single tray which is adjustable to fit each size of media commonly available, the size of the media being provided to the printing device based on what size media the tray has been adjusted to receive. Another common method of indicating to the printing device the size of the media loaded in the tray requires the user to physically “punch out” a particular location in the media tray. Once punched out, the media tray is permanently configured for that particular media size. If the user subsequently wishes to use a different media size, a new tray must be purchased.
Further, in most printing devices, there is no way for a printing device to determine all characteristics for the print media loaded in a media supply tray. Currently, there are a very limited number of combinations of media type characteristics that are provided to and understood by today's printing devices. Typically, these characteristics are media size, letter or legal, for example, and basic material type, paper or transparency, for example.
Accordingly there is a need for a way to automatically provide print media characteristics to a printing device without the necessity for a user to manually input and continually update this information as the print media is changed.